Radiator



T. N. COFFELDER.

RADIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I, 1918.

' Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

I. ar/enter.-

Mf/arne UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS N. COFFELDER, OF- EDGEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LIBERTY RADIATOR COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF ENNSYLVANIA.

RADIATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug, 26, 1919.

Application filed July 1, 1918. Serial No. 242,744.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be itknown that I, 'TnornAs N. Corr'ELnER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Radiators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in radiators and particularly to such as are adapted for use on motor vehicles and aeroplanes.

The present invention has for its principal object certain improvements over the radiator construction shown in my pending application, Serial No. 157,092, filed March 24, 1917, whereby the work of asseinblin the radiator fins and tubes is facilitated an the connection between the fins and tubes rendered more rigid, thus further perfect ing the mechanical assembly of the core and increasing the radiating efficiency thereof.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a radiator constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of a portion of the core of said radiator.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a portion of one of the fins of said core.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of portions of a tube and fin to illustrate the assembly therebetween Fig. 5isyan elevation of a portion of one of the tubes, showing one fin assembled therewith, the latter being illustrated in cross section.

The numeral 1 indicates the fins of a radiator coreconstructed in accordance with the present invention. These are provided with transverse slots 2 for receiving the radiator tubes and have unbroken front and rear edge portions 3 and 4 respectively. The slots 2 are narrowed at their front ends as shown at 5, to conform to the knife edges of the tubes as will hereinafter appear. The fins at the sides of the slots are provided with flanges 6 which are formed by turning portions of the metal of the fin upwardly, and which at their bases are spaced so as to form an easy fit on the tubes, with their free edges converging toward each other so as to resilientlv engage the sides of the tubes.

The tubes for entering these slots are indicated by the reference numeral 7 and are of the construction illustrated in the above identified pending application, being formed of a single strip of sheet metal folded on itself to form a flat tube with substantially parallel side walls and having the free edges brought into contact and soldered together, as shown at 8, thus forming a tube having but a single seam and with a narrow or substantially knife edge which is provided at regular intervals with notches 9. These tubes have boththeir outer and inner surfaces straight and entirely smooth from end to end.

In assembling the core, a series of tubes is held with corresponding notches in alinement, and a fin is assembled therewith by sliding the same longitudinally on the tubes until it reaches the pro er position on the. tubes with its fronte go 3 opposite the alining notches 9 in the series of tubes. The fin is then moved transversely of the tubes forcing its unbroken front edge into the series of notches 9 in the tubes, after which the rear edge 4 of the fin is folded over, as shown at 10, against the rear rounded edges of the tubes, thus holding the tubes and fin in assembled position and preventing movement of either the fin on the tubes or of a tube in the fin. The converging flanges 6 at the sides of the slots serve to guide the fin onto the tubes and by their resiliency insure contact between the fin and the tubes when assembled and thus insure good radiation. It is thus possible to make the slots 2 of slightly greater width than the thickness of the tubes, thereby facilitating the entrance of the tubes into the slots of the fins when assembling and also preventing any distortion of either the fins or tubes during assembling.

The radiator core constructed in accordance with the foregoing description is assembled in the usual manner with upper and lower tanks 11 and 12, respectively.

The nature and value of my invention will be apparent from the foregoing description to those familiar with the art to the fins in the notches 9 serving to secure together the front. edges of the tubes and fins and this engagement is maintained at the rear by'folding the rear edges of the fins against the tubes. The abutment of the flanges 6 at the sides of the slots against the tubes further serves to secure the mechanical assembly of the parts, besides providing the necessary contact between tubes and fins to meet the requirements of radiation.

The unity and rigidity of the core is further enhanced by the fact that the fiat tubes extend substantially from the front to the rear of the core, and the assembly of said tubes with the slotted fins is facilitated by the unobstructed smooth inner and outer surfaces of the tubes, the smooth inner sur face permitting the internal support of the tubes by placing any suitable fingers or mandrels therethrou h and the smooth outer surface permitting the sliding of the slotted fins upon the tubes. front and rear edges of the fins, the former interlocking in the notches of the tubes and the latter arranged to crimp over or fold against the rear of the tubes to hold the fins in the notches, also serve to perfect and rigidity the assembled structure.

Having thus fully described my invention What I claim as new'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a radiator, a core comprising fiat tubes provided with straight smooth inner and outer surfaces and being of a widthto extend substantially from the front to the rear of the core and having one edge pro vided with notches at intervals, in combi- The unbrokennation with fins provided with slots to receive the tubes and having unbroken front and rear edges, one of said edges bein engaged in the notches in the tubes an the other edge folded against the tubes to hold the first named edge in said notches.

2. In a radiator, a core comprising flat tubes of a width to extend substantially from the front to the rear of the core and having one edge provided with notches at intervals, in combination with fins provided with slots to receive the tubes and having unbroken front and rear edges, one of said edges being engaged in the notches in the tubes and the'other edge folded against the tubes to hold the first named edge in said notches, and inclined flanges on said fins arranged to engage the side walls of said tubes.

3. In a radiator, a core comprising flat tubes provided with straight smooth inner and outer surfaces and being of a width to extend substantially from the front to the rear of the core and having on edge provided with notches at intervals, in combination with fins provided with slots to receive the tubes and having unbroken front and rear edges, one of said edges bein-g engaged in the notches in the tubes and the other edge folded against the tubes to hold the first named edge in said notches, and inciined flanges on said fins arranged to engage the side walls of said tubes.

THOMAS N. COFFELDER. 

